Intermec Inc. (NYSE:IN) announced that its RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is being used by the United States Social Security Administration to improve data collection accuracy and reduce labor costs. The SSA deployed Intermec RFID hardware in its Supply Chain Management program to fulfill more than 42,000 orders for forms, publications and other documents each year and ship 240,000 line items to SSA office locations worldwide.

Operating from an 80,000 square-foot supply building at SSA headquarters in Woodlawn, Md., the agency implemented a paperless warehouse management control system upgrade that integrates Intermec’s IP3, IP4 and 1555 portable RFID readers and PM4i printers with RFID software from Intermec Honours Partner System Concepts and warehouse management system software from Radio Beacon. The system tracks and validates each warehouse operation and incorporates workload scheduling software to optimize employee productivity and provide control over the inventory management processes.

“Initially, the SSA warehouse and supply chain operations were done manually and very labor intensive, which resulted in system inaccuracies and delays in getting product to our customers,” said SSA Project Manager Gary Orem. “The agency reaped significant benefits — including more production with less staff — from the previous Intermec automated data collection implementation, which continues to provide an annual savings of $1 million.”

“The latest upgrade to RFID technology is a significant part of the SSA’s strategy for continuous improvements in automating, securing and managing the agency’s accountable/sensitive assets,” said Orem. “The RFID industry has seen a consistent 39 percent savings in data collection labor and a five percent increase in data accuracy. With this upgrade we are expecting to see a 70 percent labor savings in our wall-to-wall inventories.”

About Intermec
Intermec Inc. (NYSE:IN) develops, manufactures and integrates technologies that identify, track and manage supply chain assets. Core technologies include RFID, mobile computing and data collection systems, bar code printers and label media. The company’s products and services are used by customers in many industries worldwide to improve the productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations.

Intermec offers a complete RFID product suite including readers, printers, tags, labels and inlays supported by RFID implementation services to guarantee system performance, all from a single source.